A J Spencer

EDGE OF DARKNESS

Synopsis

Looking for a traditional romance novel? Well you won't find that here, honey!

This is a journey that has only one destination - darkness. The darkness that lives in the mind, in the heart, and in the questionable soul of Derik Ryder.

Make no mistake, there are no redeemable qualities to this manifestation of Hades, he was not traumatized as a child, there was no "mommy issue" that made him this way, and there is certainly no obvious explanation for his actions.

He hunts, he hurts, he kills, and he loves every minute of it.

It has become the fate of one FBI Profiler to put her own sanity to the test in order to delve into the depraved world this man lives in and try to out maneuver him.

Will she be swallowed by the shadows of his world, or will the abyss allow her to stay safe at the edge of darkness?

Author Bio

AJ Spencer was born in upstate New York, and now lives in sunny Florida with her husband. After reading many novels about the subject, exploring it for a time, and finally learning her own limitations, AJ now writes about it - Dark Romance. Her debut novel, "Edge of Darkness" was released in 2014 and is an introduction to the series "Submit to Darkness".

Who am I?

I am the author of the Submit to Darkness series. This dark romance thriller doesn't push, but obliterates the boundaries of erotica and crime novels alike! As reviewers have stated - Heed the warning!

Introduction

I have always had a fascination with the dark depths of the human mind. The extreme acts humans are capable of, whether heroic or hedonistic, amaze me and so I enjoy writing about these extremes. Currently, the scary voices in my head have me writing about a serial killer and the FBI Profiler who hunts him.

Bragging rights

Debut novel EDGE OF DARKNESS made Amazon Top 100 Best Sellers List (in 3 genres) February 2015! #37 In Romance...#21 in Mystery...#31 in Women Sleuths. Yes, apparently that last one is an actual genre!! 😉

Interview

Can you tell us a little more of what your book is about?

At it’s core I hope that this book and the entire series is an entertaining crime thriller. I have always enjoyed reading murder and procedural dramas as well as erotica, but there are few books that cross over both genres and I thought it would be fun to see where these intersect and explore that ground. Like all stories in both of these genres, this story is really about that darkness that you can find in all of us, and its about how we channel that darkness and the lines we have to draw ourselves as well as those that we collectively draw.

What are you hoping the reader takes from your book?

More than anything else, I hope my readers are entertained by this journey. Of course, I hope it helps to give them a sense that it’s okay to fantasize and okay to explore your needs and desires. This is a safe place to rest you dark fantasies and because it’s a totally imagined world its okay to fall in love with a monster.

I hope it is a faithful look at the darker sides of these things and the dangers of those who cannot distinguish between the fantasy and the reality. It’s okay to love a monster in this world, but its important to know where that fantasy ends and the world we live in begins.

But I truly hope that readers enjoy taking this journey as much as I enjoyed writing it.

When did the idea for the book come to you?

When I was about 19, I read “Silence of the Lambs,” and I sort of fell in love a little bit with Hannibal Lector. Of course I didn’t discuss this with my friends, as they were more into prince Charming, and I was looking at this real monster.
I thought about it a long while, and thought it would be fun to create my own world where I could explore these things in safety and it would be okay. I love to read, I love art, I love that sense of grace that I poured into Derik and that sense of control he has is something I am drawn to myself. This is my way of pushing the limits of where the lines are in our collective imaginations.

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

No. I wanted to be an artist or painter. Maybe a photographer. I never thought I had the ability to capture with words what I could clearly see in the visual arts.
I started journaling, and found that I could sometimes “see” things in my mind as I sorted through the chaos in my thoughts. I moved to short stories and poems like many young girls filled with angst, and I just kept pushing and such until I came to where I am.

What was you career plans as a child?

I wanted to go into psychology, and more specifically what I came to know as forensic psychology. I studied and learned as much as could. Eventually, life and its demands took me in a different direction, and I have spent the past decade working in HR using this knowledge and my love of the ways that people think and act, which remains, and of course, I now have this outlet to pour my studies.

What is your career now?

I have worked as an office manager and Human Relations manager. This gives me the opportunity to use my skills set and make a living, and affords me the comforts that I want, while letting me find ways to be creative.

Where do you write?

I write wherever I can feel the creative urge. My husband bought me a beautiful desk and I have a formal study to work in, but I’ll be completely honest, I tend to be completely comfortable writing curled up on my couch with the dogs. Don’t tell him, because, of course, I still really love my desk and my study, it’s just more for my own fun then for work.

Is this your ideal location or is there some other place you would love to be while you write?

Well, ideally, I’d like to think of a nice European villa with a view of an historic countryside and surrounded by the arts of the Renaissance. But let’s be honest, I’d likely end up on a couch, sprawled out with the dogs banging away on my laptop, anyway. But it would be a much nicer couch.

What gives you inspiration for your writing?

Well, I am most inspired by other art and literature in all its forms. I can find inspiration in a painting or photo, or in a book or film or on TV. Mostly I’m most inspired when I am actually writing. I build a character in my mind and they drag me where they want to go.

Give us one pet hate or guilty pleasure...Or both!

Well to start out as to my guilty pleasures, well, look at the writing. I guess those are no secret any more.
As to pet peeves: I have an almost irrational dislike of “rudeness.” I think if you look really close you’ll notice that my serial killer is one of the most polite men you’ll ever encounter.

Share one random fact about yourself.

I have a few tattoos and some piercings. I guess that’s a thing. I guess I would say also I’m a total chicken when it comes to scary stuff. I love horror and such, but I’m absolutely terrified of these things. I mean after reading my own work, I’d sit up and just be scared.